


Something Clever and Slow

by Witch_of_History



Category: Power Rangers (2017)
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 18:10:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17085212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Witch_of_History/pseuds/Witch_of_History
Summary: When something is real, it can grow slowly and in the midst of a wild fire still stand tall. Sometimes it wilts and sometimes it dies. But the best flowers, the best relationships, are perennials.





	Something Clever and Slow

There wasn’t some big proposal with flowers and chocolates, shouting from the rooftops until they were both laughing or an admission of love worthy of shakespeare with tears of joy as they threw themselves into each other's arms.  If anyone cared to track the relationship, there was no visible point where they suddenly became more than friends. But to those who cared, they could see it just fine. 

One day he hugged them all hello when he arrived late to training, even though they were sticky with sweat and he was flustered. They were all seconds long, just a pat on their backs before he was moving on. But when he reached Jason there was no pulling away, just a squeeze then stepping back to focus on other things. Another, they were having a campfire on their cliff when he got tired and put his head in the other boys lap and propped his feet up on Kimberly’s. He got shoved off by the girl of course, but he found his new pillow quite comfortable. There were days when he couldn’t train because he couldn’t handle touch or sound, so Alpha created a sensory chamber for him in the ship and Jason bought him stimming toys to help calm down. Fidget cubes, spinners, rocks of all different textures and blankets were thrown about the room. 

* * *

 

“Weird, right?” He muttered once when Trini slapped someone for touching her. The three of them all started giggling and had to leave before they escalated the situation further. If the boy’s pinkies were intertwined as they walked, no one dared comment. 

“I know you don’t understand a lot of our jokes, but I was wondering if you and Zack wanted to come over. We’d play video games and watch movies, we’ll make fun of the jokes cause they don’t make sense anyway.” Zack wasn’t even there but even just the mention of video games got his competitive side out so they knew he would be joining them. The only question was, would Billy? 

Billy paused like he needed time to understand the question which, all things considered, probably wasn’t that far off. “You want to hang out with me. Outside of band stuff?” His smile could have burned the sun to ash. “Of course!” He clapped excitedly while Jason resisted the urge to hug him.

* * *

 

Winter wasn’t the easiest time in Angel Grove especially with the harsh air that seemed to pull the life out of the town. Although their armor protects them from getting sick and feeling the worse effects of extreme temperatures, they could still feel it pulling at them and asking for spare heat. Billy was harassed the most, already sensitive to what was around him. He struggled going from inside to out, he hated the different temperatures of the classrooms and would just sit there and rock in detention. Until Trini handed him her beanie and he pressed it to his nose, his fingers brushing every few seconds over the knitting and his body stopped moving. 

“My family sent new school books to make themselves feel like they’re helping, figure you’d like something fun to do since you ace all these classes anyway.” One of them was an AP textbook on Astronomy and another was about mechanical engineering. They were second hand, probably found at a garage sale as paper weights. He pretended Zack was just trying to get rid of them. 

Kim taught him how to braid hair one day when they were having lunch inside, laughing as Jason pouted about his hair getting curly from all their playing. “You know it feels good to have your hair played with, don’t deny it.” When it came to the more complex braids, she sacrificed her lunch to the rest of the table as he weaved tiny strands together to create beautiful pieces. “One of these days we’ll find someone with long hair to practice on.” If Jason’s little sister had a new braid to show off every week, no one questioned it. 

No one was surprised when he started walking around with a yellow beanie covering his ears and an old football jacket around his shoulders with books that weren't for his classes. They knew the friends were close. 

“Okay, it’s warming up now and that’s my favorite hat.” It was a light comment but the fabric soon disappeared off his head and the books returned to the library where they belonged. He still went there to check out the new selection though, fingers grazing over spines. But the jacket never left, even when t shirts started reappearing. “You’re drowning in that.” 

“I’m freezing is what I am.” No one questioned why the last name on the jacket wasn’t his own. Scott was clear that he wanted nothing more to do with football and probably gave it away. Better see it on a friend than used by Skull or someone else. Right?

* * *

 

At first people thought that he was hooking up with both girls, called him a cheat and other horrible things. Tried to catch him with one to send pictures or blackmail. But they quickly realized that there was something different in the kisses that Jason peppered on Trini and Kim, something less possessive and romantic. The girls knew that the ones on their foreheads were to remind them to stay calm and so they’d never forget he had their backs.  The ones that he placed on their cheeks were to show his appreciation and care. The ones on their noses were to make them laugh or to warm them when they got cold. And the ones on their hands were to make the scars disappear from days punching rock and slicing open palms, to remind them they were beautiful. 

“I need a kiss.” Trini whispered it as she walked over to the table, holding back tears behind a glare, her nails piercing through the calluses between her fingers. Without question, Jason pulled her into his lap and brushed his lips over her forehead. “Isn’t that your shirt?” 

A distraction, that was something Trini always asked for when she was upset. “Jason gave it to me because it has graphics on it and I needed a different texture.” Billy went on to list all of the shirts Jason had given him and which ones he had given back. Jason just leaned back and smiled while Trini listened i his lap, her breathing evening out as she felt the rise and fall of a calm chest. “Jason told me that when people are upset, they ‘get it off their chest’ which is a phrase I don’t really understand but he says it means to talk about it. What happened to make you cry?”

“I’m not crying.” True to her word, Trini’s cheeks were dryer than salt. “But you’re right. Someone wrote  _ Dyke _ on my locker which isn’t that bad but...they poured fish juice all over my stuff and wrote a note…” She started breathing heavy again but she was quickly distracted by Jason peppering her face. “Get off you oaf. They basically said they know I like the smell.” 

There was a laugh as Kim dropped herself down on the bench done with her test. Zach and her had to stay after school to finish something so the rest of them were waiting. “Who  _ likes _ that smell? It means a girl either has some major issues or doesn’t clean enough. Even if it is normal, I know you much before  _ roses. _ ” 

Trini almost fell off of Jason as she reached out to punch her best friend. “You suck, Kimberly! I’m going to bend that ass ten ways to hell in training and then another four on the way back home.” 

“Stop it, I’m blushing.” They all laughed, turning to see Zach burst out of the school whooping. “You pass with flying colors? Or just gas?!” They let the final member of their squad catch his breath before getting up to leave, Kim ruffling the other girl’s hair and trying to sneak away. 

“No, no, no. You miss Kimberly can’t get away from me that easily.” Jason blew a raspberry into her cheek until she screeched about how gross he was. She still accepted his apology, much more mature kiss, on the other cheek. He moved on to Trini who instead got him with a raspberry, seemily so proud of herself before he snatched her into a hug. 

“Can I get a kiss too?” It was tentative and completely unexpected, but all of them had great hearing. Selective maybe, but great. Billy refused to look up even after he was granted his wish, grinning down at the grass while the rest of them laughed over Zach throwing himself in for one too because he felt left out of the group’s “love nest”.

* * *

 

It wasn’t often that Billy was so willing to accept touch from the others outside of fighting when he wasn’t the one to initiate it. Trini went in for a high five and he accepted it without thinking, the smile only leaving her when his fist connected with her jaw. “You could have just said not to touch you, silly man.” That was a new thing they had started, a set of code words that Billy could memorize to help him understand. If one of them was trying to make a joke, they would call him “silly man” and if they were being sarcastic they would say “uh duh” in a really weird voice. Things like that. 

“Silly Trini, boxing is for adults who can dodge!” It was something Zach said a while ago, but it still made the team laugh and Billy seemed even better. He even stopped Jason on a break and asked him for something he wasn’t sure if he was ready for. 

Jason made it short but sweet, a chaste little touch that could be extended if Billy was comfortable. But he didn’t know he could ask for more, so Billy just whispered a thank you and went back to training.

* * *

 

Today was not his day, it was not his day at all. Billy was clearly struggling with everything and to an uneducated viewer, they would be confused on why he was crashing after so much progress. But the Rangers knew that for every step they took to include Billy and every time he pushed himself a little, he got more comfortable but it also put him in more stimulating situations that could trigger him. Today was not one of those days, it was just a bad day. “It’s just a bad day.” 

“I know it is. So we’re going to take a break from everyone else. Can I hold your hand or your arm?” Billy shook his head. “Can I touch your back.” Another shake. And another. And another. “I’ll give you the directions and you remember them.” Affirmative. If you knew better, you would know exactly where Jason was taking his best friend. It wasn’t a special closet or a locked classroom. It was actually somewhere that was usually loud and chaotic. But it’s almost as if the sound is all used up so by the end of the day, it’s like a sensory deprivation tank. Maybe it was the padding on the walls or the sound proofing so the chorus didn’t disrupt other classes. “Sit.” 

Billy sat. He did that for the rest of the hour, just listening to the quiet tunes playing from Jason’s phone.

* * *

 

Kim was making kissy faces at her girlfriend, rubbing noses and just being generally weird. Billy much rathered when his boyfriend whispered his requests and he told him yes, tilting his head to accept something sweet before going back to his food. 

There were whispers about when they started dating, but the funny thing was...neither of the boys knew either. 


End file.
